David Hawes

Professor David Hawes is Professor of Clinical Psychology in the School of Psychology at the University of Sydney. He is a clinical psychologist and academic who co-directs the University of Sydney Child Behaviour Research Clinic, a service providing assessment and evidence-based treatments for child disruptive behaviour disorders. His research specializations encompass child and adolescent mental health, with a focus on conduct problems, disruptive behaviour disorders, callous-unemotional traits, emotion dysregulation, parenting practices and their influence on child executive function, family-based interventions, the role of time-out discipline strategies, and the developmental timing and impact of adverse childhood experiences. Hawes leads efforts in clinical trials and competency frameworks for treating these conditions, often collaborating with researchers such as Mark Dadds.

Hawes has produced over 200 peer-reviewed publications, cited more than 15,700 times according to Google Scholar, demonstrating substantial impact on the field. Key publications include 'Callous-unemotional traits and the treatment of conduct problems in childhood and adolescence: a comprehensive review' (2014), 'Do Childhood Callous-Unemotional Traits Drive Change in Parenting Practices?' (2011), 'Using Time-out for Child Conduct Problems in the Context of Adversity' (2022, JAMA Network Open), 'Capturing the Developmental Timing of Adverse Childhood Experiences: The Adverse Life Experiences Scale' (2021), 'Debate: Conduct disorder and the segregation of child mental health' (2022), 'Time-out under scrutiny: examining the relationships among the discipline strategy, time-out, child wellbeing, attachment, and exposure to adversity' (2024, The British Journal of Psychiatry), and 'Irritability as a Transdiagnostic Construct Across Childhood and Adolescence' (2025). He contributes to leadership through roles such as member of the Scientific Advisory Committee for Growing Minds Australia and involvement in the Brain and Mind Centre. His work informs clinical practice, training programs, and public health strategies for early intervention in child mental health issues.

Professional Email: david.hawes@sydney.edu.au